WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2016

In Global gender gap report 2016, India is in 87thrank out of 144 countries.

The top five countries are Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Rwanda.

About the report:

This survey has been done by World Economic Forum (WEF) by measuring the progress of gender equality on the basic requirements such as Educational attainment, Health and Survival, Economic opportunity and Political empowerment.

Facts of India’s report:

Compared to the last year’s report, India improved in education attainment from 125th rank to 113th rank this year.

In health and survival, India improved from 143 to 142.

In economic opportunity, India has been improved from 139th rank to 136th rank.

In political empowerment, India remains same as last year in 9th rank globally.

Doing Business 2017: Equal opportunity for all

India has been placed in 130th position in a report of ease doing business index for the year 2017 released by World Bank.

The countries which got first 5 places are, New Zealand, Singapore, Denmark, Hong Kong, South Korea.

India ranked lower than its neighbor countries such as Bhutan (73), China(78), Nepal(107), Sri Lanka (110) and higher than Pakistan(144) and Bangladesh (176)

Topic : Problems in conduct of elections

e- Postal Ballot in Elections

The government has amended rule 23 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 enabling service voters, including armed forces personnel, to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot.

How it will work?

Under the new rules, service voters, including personnel from armed forces, can now download the blank post ballot sent to them electronically, mark their preference and post the filled-up ballot back to their respective returning officers. It is one way transmission system. Since for security issues its not encouraged to send it back the filled up through online.

Benefits of this system:

This system will reduces the delay experienced in the present system of two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services.

The armed forces personnel serving in remote and border areas would be greatly benefited since the present system of two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services has not been able to meet the expectations of the service voters.